English Funerary Elegy in the Seventeenth Century: Laws in Mourning (Early Modern Literature in History)

This book analyzes the political, aesthetic, moral and religious developments in the period 1606-1660 and discusses the works of Donne, Jonson, Milton and early modern women's writing. Brady combines Literary Theory, social and cultural History, Psychology and Anthropology to produce exciting and original readings of neglected source material. Eros And Poetry At The Court Of Mary Queen Of Scots And James Vi Examines The Erotics Of Literary Desire At The Stewart Court In Scotland During The Reigns Of Mary Queen Of Scots And James Vi. Encompassing The Period From The Early 1560s To The Late 1590s, This Is The First Study To Link Together Scottish Marian And Jacobean Court Literature, Presenting A Relatively Unknown Body Of Writing, Newly Theorized And Contextualized. It Argues That In This Period Erotic Poetry Can Only Be Considered In Relation To The Figure Of The Monarch, And That The Formation Of Elite Lyric Culture Takes Place Under The Shaping Influence Of Desire For, And Against, The Sovereign, And Her Or His 'passional' And Symbolic Powers.--jacket. Introduction: Amorous Histories -- From Marian To Jacobean Eros -- Pt. 1. The Marian Period. 1. Feminine Eros: Mary Queen Of Scots And The Emergence Of Desire. 2. Demonic And Angelic Women: The Erotics Of Renunciation And Mariology In The Bannatyne Manuscript -- Pt. 2. The Jacobean Period. 3. Fables Of Eros: James Vi And The Revelation Of Desire. 4. Devotional Artefacts: John Stewart And The Eroticisation Of The Courtly. 5. Love's Altar: Alexander Montgomerie And The Erotics Of Representation. 6. Heretical Love-words: The Poetry Of William Fowler. Conclusion: Love's End. Sarah M. Dunnigan. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The funerary elegy was one of the most common and distinguished poetic genres of the early modern period. Governed by convention, elegies also provided an occasion for poets - from famous laureates to private individuals - to negotiate with the laws of mourning, religious and social expectation, and political constraints. This book situates elegy's conventions with the rituals of rhetoric and mourning. Drawing on anthropology to analyze transitional rites, charisma, and the performance of grief, it offers new readings of famous poems, as well as little-known texts published in manuscript and popular print. It recontextualizes elegies commemorating heraldic funerals and public executions, to reveal how poets asserted their independence and unique status by manipulating the rituals designed to affirm consensus and the power of the state. Examining three famous executions of the 1640s, critical elegies for other poets, and poems mourning the death of children, Brady reveals the radical potentiality of the elegiac genre. This book provides new context for canonical elegies by Ben Jonson, John Donne, Henry King and John Milton among others, and introduces a provocative set of questions about the relationship between private experience and public morality, the body and creativity, and death and writing This Book Situates Elegy's Conventions Within The Rituals Of Rhetoric And Mourning. Drawing On Anthropology To Analyse Transitional Rites, Charismatic Dying And The Performance Of Grief, It Offers New Readings Of Famous Poems, As Well As Little-known Texts Published In Manuscript And Popular Print. It Recontextualizes Elegies Commemorating Heraldic Funerals And Public Executions, To Reveal How Poets Asserted Their Independence And Unique Status By Manipulating The Rituals Designed To Affirm Consensus And The Power Of The State. Examining Three Famous Executions Of The 1640s, Critical Elegies For Other Poets, And Poems Mourning The Death Of Children, Andrea Brady Reveals The Radical Potentiality Of The Elegiac Genre. This Book Provides New Contexts For Canonical Elegies By Ben Jonson, John Donne, Henry King And John Milton, Among Others, And Introduces A Set Of Questions About The Relationship Between Private Experience And Public Morality, The Body And Creativity, And Death And Writing.--jacket. The Ritual Of Rhetoric -- The Rhetoric Of Grief -- The Funerary Ritual -- The Ritualised Execution -- The Critical Elegy -- The 'private' Elegy. Andrea Brady. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 242-261) And Index. "A Roman triumph was the procession of a victorious general through the city. The festivity combined religious thanksgiving, political legitimation, and carnival release. Early modern England, from the Armada period of the 1580s to the Cromwellian Protectorate in the 1650s, revived and appropriated the Roman model in a wide variety of forms. The result is a characteristic product of early modern culture." "English use of the triumph included ceremonies, stage performances, and poetic or pictorial representations. This book gives particular attention to the researches of humanist antiquarians, the vigorous tradition of pamphlet triumphs, and the literary or dramatic versions produced by Spenser, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Marvell and Milton, as well as by non-canonical writers. It discloses the ways in which all these texts are implicated in contemporary political conflicts and discourses. The book also discusses adaptations such as the subversive triumph of love, the paradoxical triumph of peace, and Christian triumphs of humility and patience."--Jacket "The advent of relatively cheap printed editions of verse in the mid-sixteenth century produced an explosion of verse, much of which represented the first-person speaker as a version of the author. This book examines the way in which writers, often seeking advancement in their careers, harnessed the powers of verse and print for self-promotional purposes. Close attention to the self-constructions of these writers reveals conflicts and contradictions in available models of the self, as well as doubts about the powers of verse to express the inner self. Texts studied include: an extraordinary manuscript autobiography by Thomas Whythorne; printed verse by a woman, Isabella Whitney; an erotic romance by George Gascoigne, hailed as the first 'novel' in English; little-known but memorable narratives of travel to Russia and Africa, and of the experience of war; and more canonical works by Spenser, Sidney and Shakespeare."--Jacket Eros and Poetry examines the erotics of literary desire at the Stewart court in Scotland during the reigns of Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI. Encompassing the period from the early 1560s to the late 1590s, this is the first study to link together Scottish Marian and Jacobean court literatures, presenting a relatively unknown body of writing, newly theorized and contextualized. It argues that in this period erotic poetry can only be considered in relation to the figure of the monarch, and that the formation of elite lyric culture takes place under the shaping influence of desire for, and against, the sovereign, and her or his 'passional' and symbolic powers Examining the funerary elegy in the context of early modern funerary ritual, this book also analyzes the political, aesthetic, moral, and religious developments in the period 1606-1660 and discusses the works of Donne, Jonson, Milton and Early Modern women's writing. Brady discusses both death and the body, combining literary theory, social and cultural history, psychology and anthropology to produce exciting and original readings of neglected source material. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 8 List of Abbreviations 9 Note on Transcriptions 10 Introduction 11 1 The Ritual of Elegiac Rhetoric 20 2 The Rhetoric of Grief 42 3 The Funerary Elegy in Its Ritual Context 72 4 Spectacular Executions of the 1640s 100 5 Contesting Wills in Critical Elegy 141 6 Grief Without Measure 184 Conclusion 217 Notes 224 Bibliography 252 Untitled 272 Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-9 The Ritual of Elegiac Rhetoric....Pages 10-31 The Rhetoric of Grief....Pages 32-61 The Funerary Elegy in Its Ritual Context....Pages 62-89 Spectacular Executions of the 1640s....Pages 90-130 Contesting Wills in Critical Elegy....Pages 131-173 Grief Without Measure....Pages 174-206 Conclusion....Pages 207-213 Back Matter....Pages 214-265 Examining the funerary elegy in the context of early modern funerary ritual, this book analyzes the political, aesthetic, moral and religious developments in the period 1606-1660. It also discusses the works of Donne, Jonson, Milton and early modern women's writing